of certain Fishes of the Ganges. 49 



ItlBg of serpents. The power which the animal possesses of 

 distending them with air, while on land, and the necessity it is 

 under, of rising to the surface of the water for the same pur- 

 pose, prove beyond a doubt that they perform the function of 

 luno-s ; and lead us to the conclusion, therefore, that the Cuchia 

 is " amphibious 11 in the strictest sense of the word, — forming a 

 connecting link, as it were, between the Ophidian order of rep- 

 tiles, and the genus Synbranchus of fishes. 



(Note A.) In this species there is a cavity on each side of 

 the head, corresponding to the tympanum of other animals. 

 It is of an oval figure, and is covered externally by the com- 

 mon integuments, which are of a smooth shining appearance, 

 and destitute of scales. It is found to contain a quantity of 

 gelatinous fluid, and has a thin cartilaginous plate imbedded 

 in the latter on the one side, and attached to the portion of 

 skin analogous to the membrana tympani, by a small hook-like 

 process on the other. It leads to a small foramen on the side 

 of the cranium. This foramen corresponds to the fenestra 

 rotunda of Mammalia ; and is filled up by a thick membrane 

 that separates the cavity of the tympanum from the ossicida, 

 and the membranous semicircular canals of the internal ear. 



(Note B.) This fish I found in the rivers and ponds of the 

 south-east parts of Bengal. It is said to grow to two feet in 

 length, and six inches in circumference : but those that I have 

 seen were shorter and thinner in proportion to their length. 

 Europeans eat the Cuchia as an eel : but the natives reject it, 

 and imagine that its bite is fatal to cattle, although less power- 

 ful on the human kind; a supposition highly improbable. 

 The whole form of the animal, having no vestige of a fin, re- 

 sembles strongly a serpent. This fish is cylindrical, devoid 

 of scales, and lubricated with slime. The colour above is 

 dark green, below a dirty pale red : on every part are scatter- 

 ed small round black spots, and short yellowish lines. Two 

 parallel pale lines run forward from the shoulders, and at the 

 eyes join at an acute angle two others, coming from the sides 

 of the chest. Parallel to the last are two others, one on each 

 side beneath the lateral line. The head is blunt and of a mo- 

 derate size, but swells out when the animal is irritated. The 

 M w SERIES, vol.. v. WO. I. Jri.Y 1831. D 



